A number of questions we’re often asked.

What does it cost?

Like every thing in life sometimes its worth paying a little bit more to get the job done properly… Sanding floors properly is not always the cheapest option, cheap carpet is. Restoring your floors is comparable to the costs of a good quality carpet or new wood floor.

Unfortunately we don’t work to a fixed price per m². There are so many factors at play, the floor area, the condition and amount of preparation & restoration work, the chosen finish, access and your location. Also the more m² we do in one go the more cost effective it becomes when priced £ per m².

We do offer free quotations and free site visits and can often give an estimate over the telephone once we have picked your brains for the information we need. Please note that a telephone estimate is not binding and would be followed by a visit for us to confirm costs.

Having said all that her are a couple of illustrations to get a feel for the costs involved:

Sanding and finishing with 3 coats of top quality water based polyurethane floor finish including sanding before final coat. The cost would be in the region of £1,350 (there is no VAT on our prices).

Kitchen / morning room in Truro totalling 20m²Solid oak floors requiring sanding, and refinishing in either top quality water based polyurethane floor finish or oil. The cost would be in the region of £1,200 (there is no VAT on our prices).

Please note that these examples are for illustrative purposes only.

What choice of finishes?

We will always chat this through and make recommendations based on the floors use, the desired finish and any maintenance issues. In principle there are two routes, the ‘sealed’ floor ie. Water based polyurethane, or the more natural ‘living’ floor using oils or wax. Both have there pros and cons, both can look beautiful and both can do the job. We work with you to make sure you get the right one.

is it messy?

We will always chat this through and make recommendations based on the floors use, the desired finish and any maintenance issues. In principle there are two routes, the ‘sealed’ floor ie. Water based polyurethane, or the more natural ‘living’ floor using oils or wax. Both have there pros and cons, both can look beautiful and both can do the job. We work with you to make sure you get the right one.

Is it noisy?

“Yes” is the straightforward answer. We try to be as inconspicuous as possible, but these are powerful sanding machines with effective vacuuming and that’s noisy.

How long does it take?

It depends on the size of the job and the amount of preparation and restoration work required before the sanding, but as a rule of thumb an average size room with basic preparation (15m²) would require one day for the sanding and 2 days for the finishing. However 2 rooms at 15m² each would be 2 days for the sanding and still two days for the finishing, so there can be economies to be made the more m² you have done in one job. You would then normally need to leave the room for 72 hours from completion before re-introducing the furniture.

What guarantees do you offer?

We can’t offer cast iron guarantees as to the longevity of your floors. It all depends on usage and care. If you have five kids, two big dogs and your life is too full to worry about cleaning the floor too often its not going to last as well as a retired couple with no pets who never wear shoes in the house! We will give you an honest estimate as to the life expectancy of your new floor and guidance as to the most effective method of maintaining your floors.

How long will it last?

There are many factors that effect the life of the floor: do you wear shoes in the house, do you have dogs, do the kids ride bikes in the kitchen, do you rent out the property as a holiday let?

It can be anything from 4–10 years before the floor needs redoing. If you look after it well and don’t allow the finish to wear to the floor you could simply have the floor cleaned back and lightly sanded and a new top coat, avoiding the extra expense of stripping all the way back again.

Having said all the above there are floors that we have done that are still looking good 14 years after being done and that's in a commercial environment!

How do we take care of it?

Different floors require different products and regimes, but we will talk you through everything, even before we estimate to ensure that it will fit in with your lifestyle, not the other way round. We always leave you with written instructions and free cleaning product.

Staining?

Yes, we can stain floors and we will always advise and guide as to what is possible and what is not.

What about the gaps?

Gaps are very personal and on many floors, especially older Victorian/Edwardian floors, they contribute to the overall visual aesthetic and look best remaining. However there are instances where gaps do need filling and we can employ the following methods:

Using a special cellulose filler mixed with sawdust to fill small/thin gaps.

Using thin fillets of timber wedged in and glued, ideally sourced from within the property to ensure a good match.

Lifting the floor and shuffling along. This option can therefore be very time consuming and rather expensive.

It is worth saying that all filler over time can pull away. Timber is living and breathing, and as such expands and contracts throughout the year according to climatic conditions etc.

Should sanding be the first job?

We always recommend all heavy building work to take place before the floors, such as plastering, removing walls and especially electric and plumbing that might require the boards to be lifted. We always advise caution when other trades are lifting boards, they can tend to be a little slapdash, so we can offer advice on the best methods or sometimes we are able to carryout the work for you.

Decorating can take place before or after, but we would point out that getting a ‘tight’ finish up to the edge can often ‘scuff the skirting boards and we would therefore recommend finishing those after.

They look a mess, are they worth doing?

It’s very rare for floors to be beyond restoration. The key question is are they structurally sound? If the answer is yes then we can normally work our magic, if not then we will always be honest and say if we think the floors are not worth doing or we feel there is a far better alternative option.

Who does the work?

Only Andrew. We never subcontract out our work.

Do you lay new floors?

We often relay floors or use reclaimed timber to match in with existing rooms and are happy to remove boards from one room and relay in another.

We can lay new solid wood floors when required and can quote for both supply and fitting.

We don’t lay laminate floors, sorry.

Should sanding be the first job?

We always recommend all heavy building work to take place before the floors, such as plastering, removing walls and especially electric and plumbing that might require the boards to be lifted. We always advise caution when other trades are lifting boards, they can tend to be a little slapdash, so we can offer advice on the best methods or sometimes we are able to carryout the work for you.

Decorating can take place before or after, but we would point out that getting a ‘tight’ finish up to the edge can often ‘scuff the skirting boards and we would therefore recommend finishing those after.

What geographical area do you cover?

Cornwall is our main area. Being based in St Ives there can be an additional cost factor working in the north of the county. However we have carried out substantial works for clients across the UK and are happy to quote for works further a field, just bear in mind that we have to allow for possible additional costs including accommodation, travel etc when working out of the County.

Do you have an environmental policy?

We work only with finishes from companies with strict environmental credentials and leaders in the field of environmentally friendly products, such as Bona of Sweden and Blachon of France. As small company, located in one the most beautiful parts of the world, we endeavour to reduce our impact on the environment and recycle as much waste as possible.

Strippers Flooring is the first flooring company in Cornwall to be accredited Which? Trusted Trader status.